Invalid bed



2 Sheets-She INVALID BED Filed March 24, 1927 anlunnunnnlnnbnnnnfinn J.L. STAUFENBIEL -May 21,1929.

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INVALID BED Filed March 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 21, 1929.

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

INVALID BYED.

A pplicati on filed March 24, 1937. serial in, 171,995,

The present invention has relation to im provements in invalid beds andconsists in the novel features of construction more fully 7 set forth inthe specification and pointed out in the claim.

Briefly the invention consists in a bed supporting frame embodying abottom-rest,

a back-rest, and individual leg-rests, the back-rest and leg-rests beingseparately. adjustable toeifect frequent changes in the position of thepatient. Each of these parts is operated by a mechanism handy to thepatient himself, so that he may alter the position of these partsshouldhe have sufficient strength for doing so.

The principal Object .of the invention, aside from providing bedsections separately adjustable, is to so arrange the parts that patientswho are not helpless may themselves alter the position of the respectivebed sec-' tions so that they Would not need the constant attendance of anurse. A further objectis to provide, independent supporting sectionsfor the body, such as canvas sheets stretched over the frames, or, ifdeired, individual springs and mattresses; a further object is toconstruct a bed of this type which would be comparatively simple,durable, and positive in the operation of its respective parts. Furtherand other advantages will be better apparent from a detailed descriptionof the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichs Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved invalid bed with'parts brokenaway; Fig. 2

is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken onthe line 3, 3 of Fig.

2; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 4;, 4 of Fig. 1;Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the operating mechanism for adjustingthe respective parts of the bed; Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinalsection taken on the line 6, 6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a verticalcross-section taken on the line 7, 7 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, F represents a frame composed of side members1, 1 and end members 2, 2, there being cross-members 3, 3 disposed inspaced relation at an intermediate position on the frame, each of saidcross members being secured to the side members 1,1. A back-rest 1 issecured to the cross member 3 by hinges 5, 5, said backrest comprising aframe 6 to which hinges 5, 5 are secured, the side members 7,7 of saidframe 6' having rods 8, 8 mounted. on them, said rods being .curved asshown in Fig. 2 for a purpose hereinafter to appear; .A canvassupporting sheet 9 is tightly stretched over the frame 6 and is securedat the sides to the rods 8, 8. VVhiIe I show the sheet 9 secured on theframe by mea ns of cord lacings 9, I do notwish tobe restricted theretoas the method of holding the sheeet giln place is optional with the userof the Tightly stretched between: theicross members 3, 3 and sidemembers .1, 1, isa canvas supporting sheet 10, said sheet being securedin place in like mannerias the sheet 9, and having a centrallydisposedfopening O, the margin of said opening being formed by fixingthe canvas in some suitable manner to a wire ring 11. Thepurpose of theopening I O 'is'to simplify the duties in connection with the demands ofnature made upon the patient,

as it is merelynecessary to place a suitable receptaclebeneath theopening 0, thus avoidmg the use ofv a bed pan. A pair of legrest frames12, 12 are disposed atthe front. vend of the frame F betweenmembers 1,1,

UNITED STATES JACOB L. STAUFENBIEL,

end member 2 and cross member 3, said frames being independent of oneanother and both mounted for oscillation on. a rod 1 extending betweensaid members 1, 1 ad Each'of the frames jacent to the member 3. I 12, 12has av canvas sheet 13 tightly stretched over it, the sheets 13 beingsecured by cord I lacing 14 as shown. The sheet '10 together with itssupporting members constitutes'the bottom-rest and is immovably fixed inplace,

and the leg-frames 12, 12 together with their supporting sheets 13constitute leg-rests and are adjustable asis theback-rest comprising theframe 6 and the sheet 9, the mechanism for effecting the adjustment ofthese parts being as follows:

A short vertical main shaft 15 is mounted 5 in a bearing 16 securedto'the' side rail 1, said shaft carrying a bevel gear 17 on its lowerend and an operating wheel'18 fixed on its upper end. A collar 19 holdsthe shaftin place in the'bearing 16. A shaft 20 is mounted in bearings21, 21 secured to the under side of side member 1, said shaft 20 havinga pinion 22 slidably mounted on its inner end by means of a feather 23.-The pinion 22 is movable into and out of engage .ment with the bevelgear 17 by means of a shift lever 24 pivotally mounted on the side withthe driving gear 17 member 1 and having a pin p in its extremity forengaging slot 26 formed in the hub.

22 of the gear 22. The outer end of the shaft 20 has a worm 27 mountedon it for on gagement with a worm wheel 23 carried on the adjacent endof counter shaft '29, on the opposite end of which is a drum 30 on winchis adapted to be wound a cable 31. The cable 31 has one end connected tothe bracket 32 projecting downwardly from the outer end of leg-restframe 12. A counter-shaft 33 is mounted in bearings 34, 34 secured tothe cr ss member 3, the end of shaft 33 adjacent the actuating gear 17having a pinion 35 slidably mounted on it by means of a feather 36, saidpinion being movable to and from the gear 17 by means of a shift lever37 (in like manner as pinion 22). The other end of shaft 33 has a bevelgear 38 fixed to it which meshes with a bevel gear 39 fixed to the endof a shaft 40 mounted in bearings 41, 41 beneath the side member 1. Ashaft 42 is mounted in suitable bearings beneath the foot-end member 2support.- ing frame F and is connected to shaft 4'0by means ofv a worm43 fixed to the end of shaft 40 and a worm wheel 43 on the adjacent endof shaft 42, the opposite end of said shaft having a drum 44 fixed to iton which a cord 45 is adapted to be wound. One end of the cord 45 isconnected to a bracket 46 projecting downwardly from the end of leg-restframe 12. Thus, it will be, seen that on rotating the driving gear 17,either shaft 20 may be rotated to cause tliecord 31 to wind onto or offdrum 30, or shaft and shaft 40 may be rotated to cause cord 45 to windon or off of drum 44 depending on whether pinion 22 or pinion 35 is inmesh the cords are unwound from the and 44, the leg-rests will belowered, and the cords are wound onto the drums, the leg=rests will beraised, or either leg-rest may be raised or lowered as desired. 7

A bar 47 is secured to the side members 7 of frame 6 and has a air of lus 48 Of course, as

members 1, 1. One end of shaft 51 has a worm wheel 53 fixed on itadapted to mesh with a worm 54 fixed onto the end of shaft 55, mountedin bearings 56, 56 beneath mem her 1, the opposite end of shaft having apinion 57 slidably mounted on it by means of a feather 57, said pinionbeing adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with drivinggear'l7'by means of a shift lever 58, similar to shift'lever 24; Astirrup 60 is mounted on shaft 51 and confines the rack bar 49 to itspath of travel ,so that it will be held in mesh with the teeth ofcogwheel 50. From what has just been said, it is apparent that if thegear 17 is rotated while the pinion 57 is in mesh with said gear, shafts55 and 51 will be rotated well as the cogwh-eel 50, and the rack bars 49will be moved. either upwardly or downwardly to raise or lower theback-rest com 'iri'sing the frame 6 together with its covering sheet 9.Thus, either the back-rest and the legrests may be adjusted, or any oneof thesemcmbers may be adjusted to meet the demands of the patientoccupying the bad, all of which is done by the operator in one position;that is, in the immediate vicinity of the operating wheel 18 whereby thedriving gear is actuated.

The sheet 9 will follow the curvature of the rods 8, 8 between which itis stretched, and since these members are curved to correspond with thenatural curvature of a persons back, the sheet will also follow thiscurvature increasing the comfort of the back-rest.

Having described my invention, I claim:

An invalid bed comprising a supporting frame, a bottom-rest fixed tosaid frame,

a back-rest hingedly mounted on the frame adjacent to the rear edge ofthe bottomrest, a pair of independent leg-rests hingedly mounted on theframe adjacent to the front end of saidbottom-reshand means foradjusting the back-rest andLleg-resi's, said means comprising a singleactuating device and clutch-es for connecting any desired selection ofsaid rests to the actuating de- Vice.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiixmv signature.

JACOB L. STAUF'ENBIEL.

